The Galapagos Archipelago is a cluster of some 13 large islands and 6 medium islands, situated to 972 km off the coast of Ecuador. Over the course of centuries, animal and plant life from the Americas reached the islands and gradually evolved into new forms, many of its species are found nowhere else on earth.
Galapagos is considered an open-air laboratory in the Pacific Ocean, made up of 3 large islands, 7 small ones, and 47 rocky islets of volcanic origin, which emerged from the sea bed about 3 to 5 million years ago. Its total area is 8,009 square kilometers, of which 97% comprise the Galapagos National Park. In 1535 the islands were discovered by the Spanish clergyman Fray Tomás de Berlanga, where the famous naturalist Charles Darwin found the basis that supported the theory of evolution of the origin of species.
Las principales islas son: Fernandina, Isabela, Santiago, Santa Cruz, Floreana, Española, San Cristobal, Genovesa, Santa Fe, Marchena, Pinta, Rabida and Pinzon. The islands are the home to a vast array of land and sea bird species, land and marine iguanas found nowhere else, lava lizards and giant tortoises, as well as a diverse and unusual flora. Each species reveals suites of physical and behavioral adaptations to its own particular local environment.
The wildlife paradise of the Galapagos Islands, long regarded as a mysterious and desolate spot. The islands have become a National Park dedicated to the conservation of many unique species threatened with extinction.
The Galapagos climate can be divided into a warm season (from December to May, when there is the possibility of heavy rain, and the cold season from June to November), when the days are generally more cloudy and it often rains or drizzles. July and August can be windy. However, at night, particularly at sea and at higher altitudes, temperatures drop below 15 ° C and warm clothing is required. The sea is cold from July to October.
Ocean temperatures are usually higher to the east and lower in the western end of the archipelago. Warmer temperatures and heavy rains break the food chain and disrupt the breeding cycle. Although this is not an annual occurrence, rising water temperatures can have a dramatic influence on the islands' wildlife. Seabirds, Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas, and sea lions have suffered a decreased number in years with El Niño